Educator Guide to
Weather
or Not
A workshop presented
by the Reuben H. Fleet
Science Center for
grades k-3
P. O. Box 33303
San Diego, CA 92163
(619) 238-1233
www.rhfleet.org
Pre-Visit Activity
ANEMOMETERS
OBJECTIVE:
Students will make a wind gauge to learn about wind
speed and directions.
MATERIALS:
• 4 paper cups of 7 oz. (207 ml)
• 10 inch (25 cm square) cardboard square
• Dowel 1/4 inch diameter (.64 cm) and 10 inches long (25 cm)
• Straight pin
• Pencil
• Small bead
• Ruler
• Clock or timer
TO DO:
Using a ruler, draw a diagonal line across the cardboard,
corner to corner. Draw another diagonal line across joining
the other two corners. Turning each cup on its side, tape
one to each corner of the cardboard (the open part of the
cups should be facing different directions). Poke the pin
down through the center of the cardboard, where the
lines meet. Pull the pin out, put it through the bead and
back through the hole in the cardboard. Carefully push
the pin into the tip of the dowel. Mark an “x” next to a
cup on one corner of the square for a reference point.
Walk outside and find an area with wind. Using a clock or
timer and watching the “x,” count how many times your anemometer spins in one minute.
This activity requires wind, so try to do it when there is a lot
of wind blowing. Repeat this at different times of the day
for three days to see how the wind changes.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Wind is the movement of air from an area of higher
pressure to an area of lower pressure. Anemometers tell
the speed of the wind by measuring how many times the
unit spins around in one minute. The amount of wind
making your anemometer spin can change depending on
your surroundings and the weather outside.
Bead
Pin
Post-Visit Activity
CLOUD ART
NOTE: MAKE SURE THERE ARE CLOUDS IN THE SKY WHEN YOU DO THIS ACTIVITY.
OBJECTIVE:
Students will observe, draw, and label clouds to learn about
different types of clouds in the sky.
MATERIALS:
• Colored pencils
• White drawing paper
• No. 2 pencils
• Clouds books with photos (your school or local library should have some)
TO DO:
Using the descriptions listed at the bottom of this activity,
briefly tell the students about each type and show them
photos of the different cloud types. Go outside and look at
all of the clouds in the sky. Using the No. 2 pencils to draw
cloud outlines first, pick a group of clouds you want the
students to draw and begin. After drawing the outlines,
use the darker (black, gray, blue) colored pencils for details.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Clouds form when warm, moist air rises. As it rises, the warm air expands and cools. As air cools, it loses its ability to hold
water vapor. Now this water vapor changes to liquid water and condenses on a solid surface such as dust or salt in the
atmosphere. We see this as a cloud.
CIRRUS CLOUDS:
CUMULUS CLOUDS:
STRATUS CLOUDS:
Cirrus (meaning “curl”) clouds are very
high, wispy clouds made of ice. Even in
the summer, cirrus clouds are made of ice
because it is cold high above Earth.
Cumulus (meaning “heap”) clouds are
the large clouds that sometimes look
like huge puffs of cotton. Sometimes
these clouds look like animals or familiar
things. It is fun to use your imagination
to make up stories about the clouds.
Sometimes cumulus clouds get dark gray
and rain or hail fall from them. These
are called cumulonimbus clouds. These
clouds often produce lightning and
thunder. Nimbus always tells us that a
cloud brings rain.
Stratus (meaning “stretched out” )
clouds are made up of low layers of
clouds that usually cover the whole sky
and blot the sun. These clouds bring gray
days. When rain falls from them, they
are called nimbostratus clouds.
GLOSSARY
Teachers, the following glossary terms are used in the lessons above as well as the lessons that will be covered during your workshop. It will be beneficial for your students to know these words in order to get the most out of their
field trip.
ATMOSPHERE: The mass of air surrounding the earth.
EVAPORATION: The change of a liquid or into vapor.
FORECAST: To predict or calculate.
PRECIPITATION: To condense and cause to fall as rain, snow sleet, etc.
PRESSURE: The force exerted over an area.
TORNADO: A strong, rotating column of air extending from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground.
WEATHER: The state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness.